There are many variations of eating plans out there. Banting, low-carb, gluten-free, keto… The list is endless. While there are many reasons behind why people choose to eat the way these diets dictate, there are a number of principles that you need to stick to in order to make sure that stick to good nutrition principles and that you get the nutrients you need.
Eat a balanced diet to maintain good nutrition
Food is divided into the following groups: carbohydrates, protein, fats and sugar, milk and dairy products, fruit and vegetables. Eating a balanced diet means that you need to eat from these groups on a daily basis so that your nutrient levels are sustained.
There have been many theories about the optimal way that you should be maintaining good nutrition levels. For example, the food pyramid was developed by the United States Department of Agriculture advocated that the bulk of your diet needs to be made up of carbohydrates such as grain and wheat. (This was developed some 20 years ago.) Since then, the food pyramid has been developed multiple times to take into account the changing ways that society eats. (Read our article – entitled Food pyramid vs food plate: Which one should you follow? – to find out more about these different theories.)
Your food must be the colours of the rainbow
Nutrition Australia and nutritionists alike advocate that to eat a balanced and healthy diet, and get the nutrients you need, you need to eat food that spans the colours of the rainbow: red, purple/blue, orange/yellow, green, brown/white. Examples of foods within these colour spectrums are:
- Red: Strawberries, tomatoes or watermelon
- Purple/blue: beetroot, red cabbage, eggplant
- Orange/yellow: carrots, pineapple, sweet potatoes
- Green: spinach, asparagus, avocadoes
- Brown/white: cauliflower, mushrooms, bananas
As can be seen from the above list, just because the skin of a particular fruit or vegetable is a specific colour doesn’t mean that it falls into the category designated by that particular colour. A good example of this are bananas as although they appear to be yellow, they actually fall into the white category.
Good nutrition also means hydration
Hand in hand with a healthy and balanced diet goes an adequate intake of water. The majority of our bodies is made up of water. It is constantly being lost through sweating and urination. This means that for your body to function optimally you need to top up your water levels regularly so as to keep your body in tip top shape.
Follow the advice of your doctor
If you follow, for example, the food pyramid but still don’t feel right, visit your doctor and/or nutritionist. He or she, by examining you, will be able to tailor-make an eating plan based on your medical needs. You may be suffering from a special condition that requires you to eat/avoid certain foods. For example, people who suffer from Crohn’s Disease – which is an inflammatory disorder of the digestive tract – need to avoid, for example, certain high-fibre foods which is something that is usually recommended in a balanced diet.
Exercise and good nutrition go hand in hand
Just as you must eat well, it’s vital that you keep up your activity levels so that you remain healthy. We’re not saying that you need to go out and become a professional athlete, but you should keep up a healthy level of activity on a daily basis to keep your systems going. It’s been said that you should exercise, at a minimum, for 30 minutes a day to maintain a healthy body.
Maintaining good nutrition is essential to continued health and wellness. Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Specialised Nutrition Course will instruct you in how to be a world-class nutritionist. You’ll learn how to develop bespoke eating plans for your clients and how to organise their meals to fit in with their exercise regimes. This nutrition course is accredited by the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA). This means that when you sign up for Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Specialised Nutrition Course, you are assured of getting quality nutrition education that is backed by leading authorities.
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So what are you waiting for? Sign up for Trifocus Fitness Academy’s Specialised Nutrition Course today! Trifocus Fitness Academy: leaders in nutrition education.
